CHAMPAIGN -- Bret Bielema's first season at Wisconsin ended with Joe Thomas selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
The enormity of that moment didn't quite hit for the first-year head coach. The other four first rounders and 24 total draft picks during his tenure in Madison, Wis., felt mostly the same. So did Bielema's 19 players drafted while he was at Arkansas.
Enough else was happening in his program at that time of year -- namely the end of spring practices -- that Bielema never gave much thought to how his players were experiencing the draft.
Like when Russell Wilson was selected in the third round in 2012. It was the same day as Wisconsin's spring game, and Bielema returned home to a phone call from Seattle general manager John Schneider that the Seahawks were picking the former Badgers quarterback.
Bielema never went to the draft. Never attended draft parties for his players celebrating at home.
So, the Illinois coach was thrown off kilter when his director of football branding and creative media, Patrick Pierson, told him he should make the trip to Kansas City, Mo., for the 2023 NFL draft. All-American cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a surefire first-round pick, and Pierson, who worked with Bielema at Arkansas, thought he should be there.
"That moment with Spoon changed the direction of my whole thought," Bielema said. "I saw his life change in front of my eyes. You realize on that day they've achieved something that was an idea in their mind before you met them, and now it becomes a reality.
"I can say, honestly, right now, other than winning a football game and on the field for a moment this is probably one of my more fulfilling moments as a head coach to witness this with these guys. You realize that journey they dreamed about as a kid is becoming a reality, and it's pretty cool."
Bielema will make the rounds this weekend with multiple Illinois players expected to be drafted and several others borderline late-round picks that will likely become priority undrafted free agents. His plan is to make 5-6 draft parties, which is only possible thanks to Illini athletic director Josh Whitman procuring one of Shahid Khan's private jets for the long weekend.
This year's draft will mark the fifth straight in Bielema's tenure with at least one player drafted, and likely the fourth in five years with multiple players hearing their name called during the three-day event in Pittsburgh, as both Gabe Jacas and J.C. Davis are seen as draft locks.
The first round takes place on Thursday night, with the second and third rounds on Friday night and the final four rounds on Saturday.
The last time Illinois had a draft streak like that Ron Zook was still the coach and 21 players were drafted between 2007-13. That stretch included five first-round picks in Rashard Mendenhall, Vontae Davis, Corey Liuget, Whitney Mercilus and A.J. Jenkins.
Bielema's intent when he took the Illinois job in December 2020 was to turn the program into what it's almost never been throughout its history -- a consistent winner. Winning at that level in the Big Ten requires at least some NFL-caliber talent.
Bielema and Co. have accomplished that by developing the players they inherited like Witherspoon (who is in line for a massive contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks) and Kerby Joseph (who got an $86 million extension from the Detroit Lions last April). This year's draft will be the first exclusively featuring players Bielema brought to Champaign and is now sending to the league.
Jacas is the prize of that group. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound edge rusher was the Big Ten sacks leader last fall and likely won't last on the draft board past Friday night.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid currently has Jacas projected as the No. 42 overall pick. He also noted the Illinois standout "could be one of the biggest surprises on Day 1" with scouts swayed by the 21-year-old's "heavy hands as a run defender and the flashes that he showed as a pass rusher."
Bielema made sure to highlight Jacas at his best during the Port St. Lucie, Fla., native's pro day in Champaign. The Illinois coach showcased Jacas' efforts during the Illini’s Oct. 19, 2024, win against Michigan where the then-junior outside linebacker had 13 tackles 21/2 sacks and two quarterback hurries in addition to forcing a fumble.
Five different clips highlighted Jacas as a pass rusher from five different spots in the defense. Juxtaposing his equally effective long-armed power against one Michigan tackle and finesse against another further emphasized Jacas’ versatility.
Bielema doesn't expect Davis to last all that much longer on draft boards than Jacas. The 6-4, 322-pound offensive lineman projects as a fifth-rounder in the latest mock draft from Reid, but the Illinois coach said "some people will be surprised with where he gets grabbed."
Davis, who started at left tackle for two seasons in Champaign, will likely be drafted as an interior lineman. Versatility that could ultimately boost his draft stock on top of his consistent effort for the Illini.
"We didn't talk a lot about J.C.," Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said. "I think that's a great attribute of an offensive lineman if you just don't talk about them much. ... Holistically, I think for two years he played a real quiet game. I think that would carry a lot of weight for an organization to draft a lineman that is as big and athletic as he is and was as consistent as he was for us."
Who else gets drafted after Jacas and Davis is the question for Illinois. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has a real chance. Offensive lineman Josh Gesky had an impressive enough pro day he might move into the conversation in the later rounds.
Either way, it will be another NFL draft with multiple Illinois players selected. Champaign as a pathway to the pros will be reinforced with more life-changing moments Bielema won't miss.